Valve guide puller



w. H. NICHOLS ET AL 2,277,346

VALVE GUIDE FULLER Filed March so, 1939 mA4/4/7/7f M01045.

BY WWW.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 24, 1942 UN HTE D STAT S QFFECE VALVE GUIDE FULLER William H. Nichols and James P. Fer uson, South Bend, Ind.

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in valve guide pullers. Automobile mechanics frequently experience considerable difiiculty in removing the valves of internal combustion engines by reason of the sticking of the valve guide. Certain internal combustion engines are manufactured with the valve, valve guide, and valve spring applied thereto in preassembled unitary relation, with the valve guide removable but retained by a keeper against which the valve spring acts to hold the assembly in operative position. The engine block has a seating aperture for the valve guide which is of a size when new to initially permit ready application of the valve guide therein, but after a substantial period of engine operation during which carbon collects in the aperture around the guide it becomes very dimcult to release the guide to permit the removal of the valve assembly. Furthermore, inasmuch as the keeper holds the guide against outward movement, it becomes necessary to force the guide inwardly for release of the keeper before the assembly can be pulled out. Various devices heretofore marketed to pull the guide have consequently solved only part of the problem, and the major problem of the mechanic who had the prior of tools available was to release the guide initially for the purpose of removing the keeper.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a valve guide puller by which the guide may be manipulated to release the keeper and thence to pull the guide.

A further object is to provide a device of this character by means of which a valve assembly may be applied to an engine block as well as removed therefrom.

A further object is to provide a device of this character comprising a sleeve mounting a puller element having an extension adapted to bear on said guide.

A further object is to provide a device of this characf er comprising a sleeve mounting a puller element having a spring pressed tiltable jaw normally maintained in operative position thereto by said sleeve.

Other objects will be apparent from the description and appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of an engine block, and illustrating the first step in the use of this device.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l and illustrating the second step in the use of this device.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l and illustrating the final step in the use of this device.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device in inoperative position with certain parts illustrated in elevation.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig; 4 illustrating the device in operative position.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the device.

Fig. '7 is an end View of the puller element per se.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral I0 designates an engine block from which the cylinder head has been removed. The engine block includes the usual cylinders l I, receiving pistons l2, valve seats [3, valved passages l4 and valve guide mounting l5. Valves l6 adapted to bear on valve seats I3 each include an elongated stem 11 passing through mounting l5 and slidable in a guide I8 seated in mounting l5. Guide It! has a groove therein receiving a keeper l9 bearing against the inner end of the mounting l5. An expansible coil spring 20 encircles the inner end of valve stem l1 and bears at its opposite ends against guide l8 and a retainer 2| on the end of the valve stem. It will thus be seen that the spring tends to normally seat valve l6, and to hold the guide l8 in desired position by pressing against the same and thereby pressing keeper l9 against mounting I5.

The valve guide puller 25, best illustrated in Figs. 3 to 7, comprises an'elongated metal sleeve 26 having one end face 21 thereof bearing the same angular relation to the sleeve axis that the valve stem l'l bears to the upper face of engine block it). The wall of the sleeve is also preferably outwardly swaged at 28 adjacent face 21 for purposes to be hereinafter set forth. .At the end of sleeve 26 opposite face 21, an end cap 29 is mounted on the sleeve, said cap being centrally apertured.

A puller assembly is carried by the sleeve, and includes an elongated threaded shaft 30 passing freely through the aperture in cap 29. At one end thereof the shaft 30 fixedly mounts ahead 3| having a guided sliding fit in sleeve 26. A semi-cylindrical wall 32 projects outwardly from head 3| and has an angularly inwardly directed shoulder portion 33 formed integrally therewith in spaced relation to head 3|. A reduced tapering end portion 34 of arcuate cross section adapted to fit closely around valve stem I! projects from shoulder 33.

Head 3| is notched at 35 opposite wall 32, and within this notch seats jaw member 36 of arcuate cross section and wider than notch 35. Jaw member 36 is notched at 3! intermediate its ends,

with said notches 3T cooperating with notch 35 of head 3| to tiltably seat member 36 on the head. One end of jaw member 36 has an inner shoulder 38 spaced from head 3| the same distance as shoulder 33 for cooperation therewith to form a substantially continuous circular shoulder. The opposite end of jaw member 36 is connected to head 3| by a pair of coil springs 39 normally tilting said jaw member relative to the head 3|.

The head 3| and jaw member 36 are mounted in sleeve 26, with jaw member 36 preferably aligned with sleeve off-set 28. A nut 4|] is threaded on shaft 30 and adapted to bear on cap 29. A driving head 4| is mounted on the outer end of shaft 30. The shaft 30 is of a length sufficient to permit at least part of Wall 32 and of jaw member 36 to project from the open end of sleeve 26, whereby the jaw member 36 may tilt outwardly under the action of springs 39, with the tilting action limited by swaged off-set 28 of said sleeve. When the parts are drawn fully into the sleeve, the latter serves as a retainer therefor and also as a guide for jaw member 36, holding the latter in operative coaxial relation to wall 32.

The use of the device is as follows: When the cylinder head, manifolds, etc., have been removed from the engine whose valves and guides are to be pulled, a suitable tool 42 is employed to lift the valve and valve stem against the action of spring to permit the end portion 32 of the puller to be forced behind the valve head l6 until the head l6 seats on shoulder 33. The parts are arranged in position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 for this insertion, with jaw member 36 tilted to avoid interference thereof with the valve head. When the tool has been inserted properly around the valve and its stem, the same will assume a position with its shaft 38 in axial alignment with valve stem whereupon the sleeve 26 is slid down over head 3| and jaw member 36 to valve IS, the use of tool 42 can be dispensed with.

The parts now assuming the position illustrated in Fig. 2, with the end portion 34 bearing on guide l8, the shaft |8 may be struck at head 4| by hammer 43. The hammer blows are transmitted through shaft 30, head 3|, and walls 32 and 34 direct to the guide, so that the latter is driven downwardly in its mounting |5 to position the guide for ready removal of its keeper l9. During this operation only a minimum amount of shock or stress is transmitted to the valve head l6 and jaw 36 by reason of the fact that the blows are directed against only the guide l8, so that only vibration or the like, rather than direct impact, is imparted to the valve, its stem, and jaw 36.

When the keeper has been released, the parts are positioned as illustrated in Fig. 3, with sleeve end 21 bearing on the engine block and nut 40 bearing on cap 29. A wrench 44 is then used to turn nut 48 for the purpose of pulling on shaft and connected parts whose shoulders 33 and 38 engage behind valve IE to pull thereon. The sleeve 26 holds the shouldered parts in operative relation to pull the valve, and the alignment of shaft 38 and valve stem insures a straight pull on the valve which will not bend the valve or jam the parts. The force of the pull exerted by rotating the nut is fully adequate to withdraw the tightest guide.

The device may be similarly employed to reinsert the valve assembly by mounting the valve therein with its head l6 supported at shoulders 33 and 38, then applying the assembly in operative relation to the engine block I0 and guide mounting |5, and then pounding on shaft 30 as in Fig. 2 until the guide is properly positioned to receive a new keeper, after which the tool can be removed by holding the valve stem raised, sliding the sleeve 26 on the shaft 30 to permit freeing of the tiltable jaw member 36, and then manipulating the device to release the head mounted part of the device.

It will thus be seen that the device affords facilities for the performance of all operations connected with release, removal and reinsertion of a valve and guide assembly. Of these, the extension of the fixed jaw for engagement with the head to permit downward pounding of the guide, and the tiltable jaw which tilts merely upon projection from the housing or sleeve so as not to interfere with manipulation of the fixed jaw in relation to the valve during application and removal are of greatest importance in this device and mark definite advances in and improvements over the devices heretofore developed and used in the art.

We claim:

1. A valve guide puller comprising a sleeve, a rigid recessed head slidable in said sleeve and having an internal shoulder intermediate its ends, and means for pulling said head in said sleeve including a shaft fixed to said head, said recessed head being adapted to fit around the stem of a valve to bear on the valve guide while the valve head is supported on said shoulder.

2. A valve guide puller comprising a sleeve, and an elongated pulling element slidable in said sleeve, said pulling element having a recessed part adapted to engage a valve head to pull thereon, and an integral extension projecting from said part for end engagement with the valve guide.

3. A valve guide puller comprising a sleeve, and an elongated pulling member slidable in said sleeve, said member having a hollow head having an arcuate inwardly directed shoulder adapted to seat behind the head of a valve and an extension of arcuate cross section fitting around the stem of the valve and bearing on the valve guide at its end.

4. A valve guide puller comprising a housing open at one end, and having a restricted opening at its opposite end, an elongated shaft shiftable longitudinally in said opening, means for pulling said shaft longitudinally, a hollow head fixedly secured on said shaft and having an internal shoulder, and a longitudinally extending portion of arcuate cross section projecting from the shoulder and of a length at least equal to the normal spacing of said head from said guide.

5. A valve guide puller comprising a housing open at one end and having a restricted aperture at its opposite end, a shaft projecting through said aperture, a hollow head fixed on said shaft and open at one side thereof, an inwardly directed projection on the end of said head, and a member carried by said head at the open side thereof and tiltable relative thereto, said member having an inwardly directed projection at its end, said tiltable member being normally held against tilting by said housing.

6. A valve guide puller comprising a housing open at one end and having an apertured cap at its opposite end, a shaft slidable in said aperture, a head fixed on said shaft, a fixed jaw carried by said head, and a second jaw tiltably carried by said head, said housing holding said last named jaw against tilting when disposed there- 1n.

7. The construction defined in claim 6, wherein said head is notched and said tiltable jaw has a reduced Width portion intermediate its length seated in said notch and normally confined therein by said housing.

8. The construction defined in claim 6, and spring means connecting said head and the inner end of said tiltable jaw for tilting said jaw upon partial projection from said housing.

9. The construction defined in claim 6, wherein said housing has an outwardly flared portion at its open end, and said tiltable jaw is spring pressed for tilting said jaw when adjacent said flared portion.

10. Means for manipulating the valve and guide assembly of an internal combustion engine comprising a housing, a head slidable in said housing, a jaw fixed on said head, a jaw tiltably mounted on said head, an elongated shaft fixed to said head and projecting from said housing, and a longitudinal extension on said fixed jaw engaging said guide for dislodging said guide when said shaft is hammered, said jaws being confined by said housing to pull on said valve when said shaft is pulled.

WILLIAM H. NICHOLS. JAMES P. FERGUSON. 

